Stepping Up to the Plate
by whiteswan
Summary: When JJ goes into labor three weeks early and Will's still in New Orleans, Hotch steps up to help a friend in need. JJ/Hotch friendship, for now. Not a Will-friendly story. Rated for language.
1. Chapter 1

Stepping Up to the Plate

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds; if I did I would demand a re-write of the last two seasons.

"People, I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV but I do believe our JJ is in labor!"

Garcia's excited voice caught the attention of both Hotch and Prentiss as the technical analyst led JJ into the room. Hotch's calm, "I'll get the car," hadn't yet faded from the room before he was out the door on his way to the garage as Prentiss abandoned her paperwork and took JJ's other arm.

"Agent Todd, I hope you're ready because your job starts now!" With those words, Prentiss and Garcia left the nervous liaison alone in the bullpen, surrounded by the suddenly ringing phones as the two women led their friend out the door and to the elevator. When they got to the front door of the building Hotch was already waiting for them, JJ's go-bag in the backseat of the SUV. As he approached to help the women Emily's phone rang; it was Morgan calling for information and unable to reach Garcia in her office. Remembering the case, she looked to Hotch for guidance; they still had an ongoing case so someone had to stay behind and help Jordan. At that moment, a contraction hit JJ hard and nearly took her to her knees, almost bringing Garcia down with her. Hotch caught her around the waist just before her knees buckled and settled the matter with a quick order, "Prentiss, you stay here on the case; keep me posted. Garcia..." He didn't get to finish the sentence before JJ cut in.

"Pen, stay here. I'll be ok. The guys need you."

"Are you sure Buttercup?" The notoriously weak-stomached analyst was already cringing every time JJ did but was determined to help.

JJ smiled at her friend as best as she could, "It's ok; the guys need our tech goddess here. I'll be fine. Go on." Another contraction cut off anything else she might have said and Hotch quickly helped her into the SUV. Shutting the door, he looked at the two worried women, "I'll stay with her. Go find out what Morgan needs, update the others about JJ and call Will. I'll call as soon as I can." Not waiting for an answer, he rounded the car, slid into the driver's seat and took off; the women could see the flashing lights kick on a moment later as the SUV sped away.

Prentiss turned to her quirky friend, "You ok with this?" It went without saying that Penelope would be worrying about her friend until word came and was 'super-duper' excited about the coming baby. However, she was surprised when the blonde nodded and turned back towards the building, "We both know I'd be useless around blood. Boss-man's been through this before, remember? He'll look after her until Will gets here. Let's go, the sooner we nail this sucker, the sooner we can get to the hospital."

"Good point. You call the guys and I'll get hold of Will. Let's just hope that he can get here fast."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I still don't own CM. However, the rights to the show are on my Christmas list.

In the SUV, JJ was doing her best to get through the contraction as Hotch sped towards the hospital. When the pain passed she looked to her friend, "You don't have to stay with me Hotch. I'll be okay."

The unit chief glanced at her briefly before turning his attention back to the road, "How soon do you think Will can get here?"

"Not a clue. He's still in New Orleans. I'm three weeks early and there didn't seem to be a reason for him to be here yet."

Hotch kept his thoughts on that firmly behind his teeth and asked instead, "Do you have another coach, someone you want me to call?"

JJ winced as another pain hit, "No. Much as I love Pen, we both know she can't stand blood or pain." A sudden drop in the pressure on her abdomen distracted her, "Shit, I think my water just broke." In the back of her mind she was grateful that Hotch had thought to lay towels over the seat before they left; this was embarrassing enough without ruining the SUV in the process!

"JJ, I won't stay if it makes you uncomfortable but I hate the thought of leaving you on your own like this…" Further conversation was halted as they pulled up to the maternity entrance of Stafford Hospital. Hotch jumped out and tossed the keys to the waiting valet before rounding the car to help JJ out of the vehicle. Shouldering their go-bags, he led her to the entrance, flashing his credentials to the security guard who began to approach when he spotted Hotch's sidearm. Once the guard back off he approached the desk and caught the receptionist's attention, "Excuse me, can we get a wheelchair here?"

"Name?"

"Jennifer Jareau," JJ bit out around another pain, "My pre-admission paperwork should already be in your system."

"Alright, why don't you have a seat, someone will be right out to get you." The woman handed over some freshly-printed forms to sign then turned back to her screen and began inputting the appropriate codes.

Hotch led a now fuming JJ over to the row of chairs, supporting the seething blonde's waist as she waited for the newest pain to pass, "I'm in labor here and she wants me to sign forms?"

"It's ok JJ, they're sending someone. I'll hold, you sign quickly." His calm demeanor soothed her nerves long enough to sign the forms and she tried to sit while Hotch returned the forms to the nurse. She'd only been sitting for a moment when another contraction started and made her cry out, "Damn, sitting only makes it worse!"

Hotch helped her to her feet once more, "What did they tell you to do at the classes?"

"Walking, rocking, I don't remember. Will didn't get up here for any of them and I missed a few when we were on the road. Oh crap!"

"Alright JJ, I've got you, it's alright. Do you trust me enough to try something?"

"Hotch you're one of my best friends, yes I trust you. And quite frankly, I'll try anything, so whatever you're thinking spit it out before I turn homicidal here."

Carefully hiding an amused grin at her threat, he rested her hands on his shoulders and supported her waist, "Try swaying back and forth, like you were dancing. It'll help. Don't worry, I've got you."

JJ tentatively began to sway and found that it did help a bit with the pain, "Maybe I should have recruited you to be my coach in the first place. I forgot that you'd been through this before."

"Is it helping?"

"A little. You're sure you don't mind?"

"JJ, I consider you to be one of my best friends as well. I don't mind as long as it's helping and you don't feel uncomfortable." He tightened the arm around her waist as her hands flew to his neck and dug in as another pain hit, "Don't try and fight it JJ, just breathe through it. I've got you."

"Hotch…I'm scared," she'd already embarrassed herself several times in the past hour, why stop now, "I don't think I can do this."

"It's alright JJ, you're doing just fine. I won't leave unless you want me to. You can do this. Just think about the end goal-your baby."

Thankfully an orderly approached just then with a wheelchair for her; Hotch walked at her side and allowed her to crush his hand when a pain hit. It was painful to watch her discomfort as they put her through the various vitals checks required for both her and the baby before she could receive any pain relief medication. He stepped out for a few minutes while the nurse helped her change into a hospital gown but returned as soon as she asked for him. Once the nurse had monitored the baby's stats long enough she asked if JJ wanted an epidural and to Hotch's surprise she refused.

"No thank you, just something to take the edge off please. No epidural."

"Are you sure about that JJ?"

She nodded at him, "I don't want to be stuck in bed the whole time and it's better for the baby. Don't worry Hotch, I'm a tough girl, I can take it."

Soon after that, they were escorted to a delivery room where JJ's doctor met them, "How are you doing Jennifer?"

"I'm about ready to kill someone if that makes these pains stop. Other than that, I'm peachy. Can I get that shot now?"

The doctor seemed unfazed at her sarcastic tone, "It's on its way." Turning to Hotch, she asked, "And you must be the father. Congratulations!" Hotch felt his cheeks color at the assumption but was prevented from replying due to the nurse arriving with the requested narcotic. He made sure to keep his eyes on the wall above JJ's head as the doctor examined her and administered the shot. When they were left alone a few minutes later, he was finally able to look her in the eye again.

"God JJ, I'm sorry about that." To his surprise she looked more amused at the mistake than annoyed, "JJ, are you ok?"

The blonde laughed a bit as the shot finally took the edge off of her discomfort, "Don't stress it Hotch, it's not your fault they assumed that, it's a natural mix-up. I'm just glad that you're here with me." Another contraction made her wince but the pain was dulled by the medication, "You don't have to stay if it makes you uncomfortable."

"JJ, at this point, you're the one whose comfort matters. I'll stay as long as you want me to."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: They still belong to CBS; I'm just borrowing them for a little while. Also, the hospital mentioned in the last chapter is a real one in Stafford, Virgina. Travel times and flight schedules mentioned in this chapter are courtesy of Expedia and Mapquest.

The next few hours passed in a slow blur of walking, swaying, periodic exams and talking to distract JJ from the discomfort of the contractions. First, she's asked about Jack and he happily shared anecdotes about the two-and-a-half-year-old boy's latest antics. That passed the time for a half-hour or so as they circled the room, her clinging to him on a couple of occasions when the pains were especially sharp.

Then they switched to talking about the team; she shared some of the running bets that were going between the team members (she and Derek apparently had an on-going one in regards to when Prentiss and Rossi would finally hook up, a thought that made him shudder) and he told her stories of some of the more amusing incidents from his early days on the team with Rossi, Gideon and Max Ryan. Add in her uncensored thoughts about Strauss's latest decrees and it would have been a rather normal conversation between the two, had she not been in pain.

Things were going slowly but she still refused the epidural, so the doctor ordered a second dose of the narcotic about six hours later. To Hotch's amusement and occasional unease, the second shot seemed to loosen JJ's usual control over the filter between her brain and her mouth. They'd been close friends for several years but there were certain topics that he'd never presumed to bring up, topics that were being discussed. However, he let her direct the conversation, experience and common sense telling him that it was best to let the person in labor have their way-to attempt otherwise was to invite threats of bodily harm, threats which JJ was perfectly capable of carrying out.

Shortly after she'd received the second shot, he was once again mistaken for the father by a new nurse after the shift change, though he'd earlier been able to clarify things with her doctor. His heightened color made JJ giggle this time, a sign that the meds had kicked in, and her following comment only made them flame more, "Half of the girls in the PR department would kill to be in my position with you right now…or at least what would have led to this!" He _really _didn't want to know what the PR department was saying about him.

Throughout everything he was receiving periodic texts from the team updating him on the progress of the case, though he only checked them at JJ's insistence. She was worried about Reid and even labor wasn't going to stop that. When he finally received word that the case was solved and the three men were on their way home, JJ smiled and confided that she'd decided to make Reid and Garcia the baby's godparents. That was no real surprise; he knew that JJ viewed Reid as a quirky younger brother and she and Garcia were as close as any two sisters could be.

Around the ten hour mark, Hotch expressed concern over the fact that Will had yet to arrive, an observation that was met with an indelicate huff from JJ, "He'll be here….eventually. He might be having trouble getting a flight." Hotch noted her tone of disbelief in the excuse even as she continued, "He's been trying to convince me to move to New Orleans, so he hasn't moved up here yet." The meds and tiredness had lowered her guard, that much was obvious, but she continued on before he could stop her from revealing more than she normally admit, "He wants me to turn into June Cleaver, move there and quit the FBI. He just doesn't get it; I don't want to quit. If nothing else, the baby gives me one more reason to do the job-it keeps the sickos away from him."

"I thought things were going well for the two of you." Her exhaustion was showing so he helped her lay down to rest while she could.

"Yeah right. The only reason we're even still together is the baby; I didn't think it was fair to him to not at least try. But…Will wants to change everything about me. God, it's messed up. He was a distraction but then we found out that I was pregnant and now he's making all these plans. He just doesn't get it." She sighed and slipped into a light doze, leaving Hotch to think and worry.

He'd seen the signs of course. JJ had done everything she could to avoid being left alone with the detective during that case in Florida; she hadn't realized that the team had already known that they'd been seeing each other (Garcia had blabbed long ago.) It had hurt a bit that she hadn't told him about the relationship herself, as they had always been close, but he'd respected the fact that she'd wanted to keep some part of her life away from the BAU; they all did.

His thoughts were interrupted momentarily when JJ jerked awake at another contraction, and then relaxed as it passed. Her voice was still sleepy as she asked a most unexpected question, "Aaron, why were you so upset in New York?" She dozed off again before he could come up with an adequate lie. When she settled back down he whispered, "I was jealous JJ. God knows I didn't have a right to be but I was." This was the only time he planned to admit that out loud; Rossi had guessed months ago but he'd refused to confirm the older man's suspicions, nor did he ever plan to mention it again. He wouldn't put her in that position.

JJ fortunately got a couple of hours of rest, but between the twelve and fourteen hour marks, she was once again wide awake and in pain; much to her displeasure the doctor said she was too far along for another dose of painkillers and the second dose was quickly wearing off. So for two hours they paced the room, swayed and generally did all they could to make it more bearable. JJ was exhausted and clinging to Hotch for support more often than before. Somewhere in that time she also began using his first name exclusively rather than calling him 'Hotch', something she'd rarely done before but seemed to find natural now.

Finally, at the fourteen hour mark, the doctor declared that she was ready to deliver. Hotch took the chance to step out and updated the team while JJ was prepped for the delivery. To his increasing anger for JJ's sake, Will had yet to make an appearance. Where the hell was he? Hotch had no wish to leave JJ alone but was acutely aware that this was Will's place to be here, not his. What the hell was the man thinking?

Half-formed thoughts of dismembering the Cajun detective for his neglect of JJ were dismissed when he was called back into the room. Though he was slightly embarrassed to see his friend in this state he supported her back, and let her crush his hands as she cursed all mankind as her son came screaming into the world and he felt privileged to witness the miracle of life once again.

JJ reached for her son, the agony and exhaustion of the last few hours already forgotten as she cuddled the baby, "Oh he's beautiful. I can't believe it!"

"He's wonderful JJ. Congratulations." The two agents smiled at each other before being interrupted by the doctor once more. Remembering what came next, Hotch followed the nurse who took the baby to run a couple of tests and bathe him while the doctor cleaned JJ up. He could feel her eyes following them across the room and did her best to stay out of her line of sight of the baby. Once she and the baby were ready to rest a bit, he brought him back to her, "Here you go JJ. He's doing just fine."

"Thank you Aaron. For everything." She smiled tiredly and cuddled her son close. "Aaron, what's your middle name?"

After the rambling conversation of the last few hours he thought nothing of answering the question, "Joseph. Why?"

"Just curious," she yawned, "Are the others on their way?"

"The guys landed a couple of hours ago, so I'm sure they're already in the waiting room. And if I know Garcia, she's already bought out the gift shop for the little man. Do you want me to go get them?"

"I think I have to be moved upstairs first. But could you go let them know that we're ok?"

"Of course." He gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead, not seeming to notice the gesture, before brushing a hand over the baby's head, "I'll be back in a few minutes , if you want."

"Please."

"Alright. Give me ten minutes then." He turned and left the room, stopping briefly to get her new room number from the doctor before going to relay the news to the team.

JJ noticed that the baby had begun rooting around so she took a moment to get them both settled to nurse for the first time as she whispered little bits of nonsense over him and the nurse and doctor continued to bustle about. He really was perfect: downy blonde hair and blue eyes that would probably change shade over the next couple of weeks. As the baby drank his first meal his mother kept glancing at the door-who would come through that door next, Will or Aaron? Yes, she was thrilled that her son was here and grateful that Aaron had stayed with her the whole time but the anger that had been bubbling in her mind before now was starting to surface again, stronger than before. This really was the last straw; where the hell was Will? It was only a four hour plane ride from New Orleans to D.C so why hadn't he arrived? Why had Aaron been the one to witness her son's birth instead of his father? Will had better have a damn good explanation for this!

And Aaron…he'd been nothing but supportive the whole time, even when she could see that he'd been embarrassed. She didn't even want to _think_ about how many embarrassing moments he'd been witness to in the last few hours but he'd been there for her the whole time. Looking down at the now sleeping baby, she mused, "We're very lucky Henry-you're very lucky. Y'know who's waiting for you out there? A couple of crazy aunties and a bunch of uncles who'd do anything for you. I'll be lucky to get to hold you for a while once Auntie Penny gets her hands on you , so let's enjoy it while we can, huh?" Removing him from his forgotten meal, she resettled her gown and waited for Aaron to return.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Still don't own it. Again, flight schedules and travel times are courtesy of Expedia and Mapquest.

In the waiting room Hotch was doing his best to answer the barrage of questions that his teammates were asking all at once, "Yes Morgan, they're both fine. No jackass, she didn't remove any parts of my anatomy. Yes Garcia, you'll get to see them soon. JJ just has to be moved upstairs first, room 418. Seven pounds, fourteen ounces, 20 inches long, Prentiss. Yes Reid, she's fine, don't worry. They're both doing just fine."

Rossi took in his friend's appearance; the normally immaculate agent had shed his jacket and tie hours ago. His hair was mussed, his shirtsleeves were rolled up and he looked exhausted. "You look like hell Hotch."

"Thanks Dave, so do you. How'd it go in Las Vegas?"

"I'll brief you later but everything went fine."

"Glad to hear it. Now, I have a question: when is Will arriving? Is he having trouble getting a flight?"

Prentiss shrugged, a scowl momentarily crossing her face, "He should be here soon; he said he was going to get the first available flight." Looks passed between Hotch, Rossi and Morgan at this but further comment was forestalled by the nurse popping out the door a moment later.

"Mr. Hotchner? Miss Jareau is ready to go upstairs and she's asking for you." He nodded and turned to follow her with a 'See you upstairs' to the rest of the team.

Morgan and Rossi exchanged another glance and the older man muttered, "That was interesting." His comment went unheard by the others as they chattered excitedly and made their way to the elevators to find JJ's new room and meet the new addition to the BAU family.

JJ looked up from the baby as the nurse and Hotch re-entered the room and smiled, "Aaron, do you want to hold him? I kinda want to change before we go upstairs; I'd rather be presentable before the others come in." God, she wanted out of this gown and into one of her own nightgowns. She _hated_ hospitals!

"Of course. Do you need a hand with your go bag?"

"I can manage it." She handed the baby to him and watched enviously as he easily shifted Henry to one arm and held out the other hand to help her from the bed, "You make that look so easy. I'm jealous."

"Don't sell yourself short JJ, you're great with kids. I've seen you with babies plenty of times before and you do just fine. Jack adores you too. Now go change, I've got the little man here." He sat in the nearby rocking chair and spoke to the baby, oblivious to the nurse's smile as she moved about the room, "Your Aunt Penelope is going to be jealous little one, I got to hold you first. Don't worry; I'm sure it won't happen again. You've got a great mommy there kiddo; you really lucked out on that score. You're also going to be spoiled rotten, starting today; there's a huge pile of presents waiting for you upstairs."

He grinned as the baby shifted in his arms and continued to rock him until JJ came out of the restroom. She reluctantly accepted the wheelchair, ('It's regulation JJ,') and held the baby as the nurse pushed her to the elevator and to her new room, Hotch following along with their bags. She had a few minutes to settle in before the team entered the room en masse; Garcia immediately claimed the baby as flowers, balloons and stuffed animals quickly covered every available surface.

"Ooohhh, aren't you precious! Buttercup, he's adorable! What's his name?"

"Henry Joseph Jareau." Rossi was the only one to notice the slight widening of Hotch's eyes as she announced the baby's name; the rest of the team was totally focused on the baby, "Guys, you didn't have to do all this!"

"Jayje, you're kidding, right? He's a BAU baby; of course he's going to get spoiled."

"Thanks for the warning, Derek." Her wry tone caused everyone to laugh.

Prentiss was the next to comment even as she visibly itched to get her hands on the baby, "I'm glad you're doing well…all three of you! I honestly expected Hotch to be missing a limb or two."

JJ laughed as she finally took a good look at the unit chief and noticed how disheveled he'd become, "God Emily, I wasn't that bad!" she ignored Hotch's amused huff of laughter, "I didn't remove anything important."

"No, nothing important; just a layer of skin from my hands and arms." Rossi howled at the dry comment, causing Hotch to shake his head at his friend with a small smile, "But if you'll excuse me for a moment, I believe I will take this opportunity to change." Picking up his go-bag he turned to the room's small bathroom to make himself presentable again.

Prentiss had finally succeeded in prying Henry from Penelope's hands and was busy cooing over him when Hotch reemerged in khakis and a polo shirt, looking as put together as ever apart from the exhaustion on his face. Henry made the rounds of the team for the next few minutes as they talked before being passed back to JJ. She smiled down at her son then caught Hotch's eye before glancing at Reid, then the rest of the team. Getting the message, the unit chief commented, "I could really use a coffee right now. Anyone want to join me?" The rest of the team followed him down to the cafeteria while Reid stayed behind at JJ's request.

A few minutes later, the newly-minted godfather sat nervously in a chair holding his godson, looking hesitant. After he'd cleared his throat for the third time in thirty seconds, JJ briskly ordered, "Spit it out Spence, what's bothering you?"

Reid cleared his throat again before answering, "JJ, why isn't Will here? I mean, on average it only takes four hours to fly here from New Orleans and even driving wouldn't take more than seventeen and…."

She interrupted him gently, "I don't know Spence. I wish I did but I don't. When he does arrive, I can guarantee that I'll be talking to him about just that."

The young genius still looked worried, "I knew you weren't as happy as you wanted us to think you were. Henry's last name gives it away if nothing else."

"You really do notice everything, don't you?"

"Not everything, just most things. Which brings up another question: his middle name?"

"Is there _anything_ in our personnel files that you haven't read? Never mind. Hotch's a good friend Spence and he's been there for me more times than I can count; today was just the biggest of all. I just wanted to recognize that."

"Of…of course, I didn't mean there was anything wrong with it JJ. I was just curious. JJ…is there anything I can do to help, with Henry or with Will?"

JJ beckoned him to come closer and gave him a hug, "If there is Spence, I'll let you know, okay? Don't worry, Henry and I will be fine."

The rest of the team returned a few minutes later, a coffee for Reid and even a decaf for JJ in hand. They visited for a few more minutes before excusing themselves when JJ's yawns became too obvious to hide. On his way out, Rossi told Hotch that he'd already informed Strauss that he wouldn't be in today, which received a small glare, then a smile from the younger man. Hotch was about to excuse himself as well when JJ spoke up once more.

"Aaron…I know I've asked a lot from you already….but would you mind staying with us, just for a little while?"

"Of course not JJ, I'll stay if you want me to. Do you mind if I catch a nap in your recliner?"

"After everything you've done for us in the last twenty-four hours, you're welcome to it. I think we all need a nap." After settling Henry in his bassinette next to her bed, JJ curled up as best as her sore body would allow and drifted off to sleep, with Hotch in nearby, if exhausted, vigil in the recliner chair.

AN: Coming up next...the confrontation with Will...


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Must I really repeat it every time? I don't own them.

All was peaceful for a couple of hours until JJ was woken by a familiar drawl when it entered the room moments before its owner, "I'm just here to visit my son ma'am, thank you." Will entered the room with a big smile, as if he hadn't missed everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. "Hey there chére, how're you feeling?"

The now wide awake blonde glared at him and replied, "Just peachy." He didn't seem to register the sarcasm in that one phrase as she continued, trying to be pleasant, "How was your flight? Did you get stuck somewhere?" God help him if he didn't have a damn good excuse for his absence; it not, he'd feel her wrath.

"Naw, no trouble, I got in about an hour and a half ago; it took some time to get the rental car and drive up here." He approached the bassinette to pick up the baby, "An' how's my little man doin'?" He didn't seem to realize that with every sentence he uttered he was pounding nails into his own coffin.

JJ's sharp tone stopped him before he could pick Henry up and he turned surprised eyes to the now pissed off blonde, "No trouble huh? Will, I went into labor over twenty-four hours ago and I know Emily called you when we left for the hospital. So where were you all this time? And don't tell me it was a case because we both know you've been on desk duty for the last week in case Henry came early, since you hadn't moved up here yet. So what kept you?"

"Well, I had to get a flight…"

"There are at least a dozen direct flights between New Orleans and Reagan every day and the flight only takes four hours. Your badge would have gotten you on one of them even if they were full. Try again." Lesson number one, never try to bullshit a woman who has spent the last year and a half trading flights back and forth with you; she knows the flight schedule as well as you do.

"Well, I figured you'd try an' wait for me."

"Are you really that stupid? These things don't wait Will! Next?" Lesson number two, try not to be an absolute idiot when you're obviously already on someone's shit list.

"Well….I was taking care of a few things at the house before I left for the airport."

"Such as?" This had better be good.

"Uh," the detective finally seemed to realize that she was very happy with him at this particular moment, "I was, uh, putting a few things in the nursery and makin' arrangements with the movin' company for a couple of weeks down th' road when you're feelin' better."

"Excuse me, what nursery? I told you Will, I am _not_ moving to New Orleans."

"But chére, I figured that once he was here you'd realize that it was best if you jus' stayed home with him instead of doing something so dangerous and unpredictable. I mean, aren't Henry an' I more important than some job?"

That was the final nail, "Henry is the most important thing in the world to me. But quite obviously, you haven't listened to a word I've said in the past few months. I have no intention of leaving the BAU and I won't change my mind."

"But JJ..," she wasn't reacting at all as he'd expected; her eyes had turned to ice and if looks could kill, he'd be a dead man right now.

"Don't you dare 'but JJ' me! Obviously you have no respect for me at all if you think that kind of attitude is going to make me change everything about me that you claimed to love. And how could you not be here for your son's birth-especially for something so damned asinine?"

A sudden creak of springs drew their attentions to their previously forgotten audience as Hotch shifted in the recliner chair. While their argument hadn't yet woken the baby, JJ could tell by the tension in his frame that Hotch was only playing possum and had deliberately shifted to distract them, or in preparation to get up if it turned out that she needed him.

Will's eyes narrowed as he finally noticed the other agent, "What's he doin' here JJ?"

"You weren't here Will, so Hotch stayed with me until you arrived. Please lower your voice, he's exhausted."

"Y'mean he was the one here the whole time instead of me?"

"Yes and just whose fault was that? You're the one who didn't want to relocate until after the baby was born; though the reason for that is very clear now. You don't get to blame him or me for your actions. Hotch is a friend Will; I've told you that a thousand times, a friend who was willing to stay with me when I needed someone. He's got a son of his own so he knew what to expect. Would you have preferred that I went through fifteen hours of labor on my own?"

"Well, I though' that Penelope…"

"Pen doesn't do well with blood or pain. Hotch was here for me and for Henry when you weren't Will. And you have only yourself to blame for that." JJ's voice was soft in an effort to not wake Henry but her tone was pure steel.

At that, Will's eyes narrowed further and his tone turned spiteful, "Is _he_ the reason you won't leave this damn job JJ? What've you been doin' when I'm no' around?"

"Absolutely none of what you're insinuating, you bastard. I've told you before; I won't leave the BAU because I love my job, not because of Hotch or anyone else. You've just never wanted to hear it. I'm no June Cleaver and I have no intentions of turning into one. And since you can't seem to get that through your thick skull, we're through."

"Why you bitch. You're not gonna keep me from my son."

"I didn't say that and you know it. Despite the fact that you couldn't be bothered to be here for him when he was born, I wouldn't try to keep him from you. You can have visitation but you and I….it's over." Lesson number three, don't ever cross Jennifer Jareau…you'll regret it.

Will glared at her, then at Hotch, before storming out of the room. JJ took a deep breath and picked up her sleeping son before saying softly, "You can stop pretending now Aaron, I know you're awake."

Hotch shifted once more and looked at her, clearly concerned, "Are you alright JJ?"

The blonde nodded, "I'm alright, just sorry that you had to hear that. And I'm sorry for Will's insinuations."

"You don't need to apologize for anything JJ, I understand. He was just trying to deflect his own guilt back onto you, hoping you'd do things his way. I woke up when he came in. I was going to give you your privacy but I thought that drawing his attention would only make things worse." JJ could see his anger at Will's treatment of her in his eyes, though he did his best to keep his expression neutral.

"Until the distraction seemed necessary; don't think I didn't notice that. Thank you though, for letting me handle him on my own...and being there in case I needed help."

"Anytime JJ," he paused for a moment then teased gently, trying to distract her, "Are you sure you don't want to become a profiler? You already seem to be picking up a few of the tricks of the trade." A rare smile crossed his face as he brought up a topic they'd discussed many times over the years.

And it worked: JJ laughed and replied, "Not this again! I like my job as it is, thank you very much. I'll leave profiling the sickos to you and the team."

They both fell quiet for a few minutes before she spoke again, her eyes on her son, "Aaron…how am I going to do this? What if he tries to fight me for custody due to my schedule?"

"Don't stress over what hasn't happened yet JJ. Right now, you just worry about recovering and taking care of Henry. But if it makes you feel better, while you're on maternity leave I can look into a couple of things for you to make your schedule a little more predictable, just in case."

"I'd appreciate that. God, this is insane." Her attention was diverted back to the baby when he began to fuss and root around at the front of her nightgown, "You getting hungry again little man? Let's change your diaper first, and then Mommy will feed you." She began to rummage around in the drawers of the bassinette for a clean diaper and washcloth, "Ok, now I'm a little nervous; I've never changed a baby this small before."

"Do you want some help?"

"No thanks, I've got to get used to it sooner or later, it might as well be now." A few minutes later the nappie was changed and she'd settled back into bed. As she reached for the button on her nightgown, Hotch rose from his seat, a distinct tint of red coloring his cheeks.

"I'll step out for a minute while you two get settled." He stepped out of the room for a moment, much to her amusement, and then came back in when she indicated that she was ready. He felt slightly awkward but tried not to show it as the baby nursed contentedly under the blanket she'd draped over her shoulder.

"Are you alright Aaron? I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

"It's alright JJ. I was just surprised for a moment. For some reason, I thought you'd be using a bottle."

"I thought about it, especially since our schedule isn't going to be conducive to nursing in the long run. But I decided to nurse at least through my maternity leave and switch over before I come back to work. Didn't Haley nurse Jack?"

"No, she said she wanted her body to herself again, so she used a bottle from the start. I admit, it did make it easier for me to help with the feedings when I was home."

"Let me guess, you jumped up every time even in the middle of the night."

"Guilty as charged." His smile made her laugh as she shifted the baby to the other side, "I was away so often that I wanted to do as much as I could when I was home."

"You're a good dad Aaron. Jack's very lucky to have you." They fell silent for a few moments as Henry finished his meal and began to doze again. As she tickled his chin in an effort to get him to drink more before falling asleep, she became conscious of the gritty sensation on her skin. God, she needed a shower.

When he saw her squirm for the third time in as many minutes Hotch finally spoke up again, "JJ, why don't you let me burp the baby while you go grab a shower. You'll feel better for it."

"Are you sure you don't mind Aaron? You've been here as long as I have." God knew she wanted to take him up on the offer but she was starting to feel a little guilty...he'd already done so much for them.

Hotch shook his head and another small smile crossed his face, "I'm not the one who just gave birth JJ. I've known you long enough to know that you're dying for a shower right now." Her muttered 'damn profilers' only made him chuckle before continuing, "Besides, I've missed this stage and we both know I'm not going to get to hold him once the team comes back. I have to take advantage of the opportunity while I can. Henry and I will be just fine. Go. Don't make me make it an order." His mock-stern tone made her laugh as she adjusted her nightdress and then held out the baby for him to take.

"Alright, alright, here you go. I get the message. I promise not to take too long but don't blame me if he spits up on you."

"Take your time JJ. We'll be fine."

AN: Many thanks to schokokafee, beaglelover719,samcarter1980, loveliacd, deeda and jekkah for the wonderful reviews! And many thanks to Jekkah and WhimsicalOne for being such great sounding boards and listening to me ramble my way through this fic.  
For those that wanted to see Aaron kick Will's butt...he'll get his eventually. Patience is a virtue my friends. :)


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I didn't hit the lottery so I still don't own them.

AN: A lot of introspection for JJ here, though not yet any romance for our duo. I did do some research on the family law regulations mentioned here. However, it varies a lot state to state, so I used the most common rules; my apologies for any errors.

As she slowly and somewhat painfully showered and changed, JJ's thoughts were full of what had happened in the last hour or so. She wasn't sorry that she'd ended things with Will but she knew that doing so also opened a whole new can of worms. She also knew there were a couple of options that she could take right away. The simplest would be to simply not put Will on the birth certificate. Sure, she wouldn't get child support but that was the least of her concerns. It wasn't that she wanted him out of Henry's life completely but the point would be that in order to get anything beyond informal visitation, Will would have to put in the effort to actually be a father, initiate the petitions and so forth. Looking back, she finally admitted what she'd been avoiding before: that despite the fact that Will said all the right things regarding her pregnancy; he'd really made little effort to be there, unless they were around the others. Then she and the baby were trophies, a 'look what I've got!' She was still afraid that he'd try to use her schedule against her but she'd be damned if she'd let her son be used as a pawn by his father. If she took that one step now, she might be better off. She'd have to ask Aaron…

Speaking of Aaron….just when had she started calling him, and thinking of him as Aaron instead of Hotch? She could recall one or two instances when she'd called him that in the past, outside of making introductions, and it had only been when she really needed to get his attention. But now she'd been calling him that for hours and he hadn't said a word. Was he just letting her have her way while in labor or did he really not mind? He'd readily admitted that he considered her to be one of his best friends, Rossi being the obvious other one and Lord knew he didn't call anyone 'friend' lightly, let alone best friend. He just didn't trust that easily. She thought back to their conversations from earlier, trying to figure out when she'd begun using his Christian name so comfortably. It had to have been after the second shot; she knew herself well enough that she wouldn't have been so bold without the drugs to loosen her tongue. As she brushed out her hair she finally remembered; she'd been half asleep and had asked him why he'd been so upset in New York. God, how embarrassing! She'd never intended to bring that up again, though she had been curious; he'd looked so upset. Now what had he said? She braided her hair and tried to recall the conversation. Had she fallen asleep again before he could answer? Had he answered at all? She looked at herself in the mirror and shook her head at her reflection, 'Concentrate on one thing at a time Jareau. Deal with the Will situation first and concentrate on Henry. Worry about what Aaron may or may not have said later.'

When she exited the bathroom she saw a woman chatting with Hotch and holding a thick sheaf of papers in her hand. Spotting JJ, the woman introduced herself as a member of the hospital's patient outreach team and handed the papers to JJ. After spending a few minutes flipping through the pile and touching on each set, the woman smiled and left, leaving JJ with a tray table full of papers and a bewildered expression.

"What just happened here?"

Hotch chuckled softly at her expression, trying not to wake the sleeping baby, "I'm not sure but that table looks like a miniature version of your desk at work now."

"Oh you!" She would have tossed a pillow at him in retaliation but he was still holding Henry, "Just you wait Aaron Hotchner! You're the one who has to help Agent Todd deal with that while I'm gone. And my desk isn't that bad?"

"Compared to what?"

"Yours!" The lighthearted teasing, most uncharacteristic of her friend, distracted her from her earlier thoughts until she spotted the birth certificate paperwork in the stack. Aaron, profiler that he was, noticed the change in her expression immediately.

"JJ, what's the matter?"

"Aaron….I need your advice."

"How can I help?"

She sat back in the bed and was grateful when Aaron seemed to read her mind and handed the baby to her. Cradling Henry in one arm, she fingered the paperwork as she explained her thoughts regarding Will and the certificate. She was relieved when he didn't try to say anything but just listened until she was finished, "I know I probably sound like a total bitch to you, especially after what you went through with Jack. But if Will doesn't want to be involved in Henry's life since he's not getting the while 'Leave it to Beaver' picture perfect family with him, I don't want him waltzing in and out of Henry's life on a whim, using the birth certificate as his justification. If he doesn't want to be a father then I'd rather make a clean break now."

Hotch nodded once in understanding, "Your situation is different than mine was JJ. You're trying to protect yourself and your son. But I'm not a family law attorney."

"But you know enough about it to tell me if I'm right about this point, correct?"

"On that, yes, you're right. Here in Virginia if Will's name is not on the birth certificate he would have to petition the court to prove paternity in order to get any formal visitation rights."

"And your personal opinion? Am I being irrational, a complete bitch?"

"I think you're being a mother who's worried about her child and the situation you're in. I don't think you're a bitch JJ. I just want to make sure that you're sure about your decision."

"Aaron, I meant what I said yesterday. I wouldn't have stayed with him this long if it weren't for Henry. This morning was just the last straw; you heard what he said."

"I know JJ and trust me, it took a lot to not react and let you handle it yourself. I'm on your side here." He left it unsaid that in his professional opinion, JJ had done a good thing in getting out now; the detective showed all the signs of being a controlling passive-aggressive abuser when he didn't get his way. But she didn't need to know that right now.

"Do you have a pen handy?" Taking the pen that he fished out of his go-bag she filled out the certificate paperwork and signed the bottom before breathing a sigh of relief, "I still feel a tad guilty but I know it'll be better this way. I'm just a little worried about Will's attitude if he comes back."

Quite frankly, he was too but he kept that to himself, "Do you want me or one of the others to stay with you?"

"You'd do that?"

"JJ, you're family, of course. You just had a baby; you shouldn't need to worry about anything but healing up and taking care of Henry right now. If having one of us here will ease your mind, then of course we'll be here. We can easily rotate between us, if that makes you feel better, at least for a few days until you're settled in at home again. Beyond that, I'm sure I can arrange something if need be."

JJ looked relieved for a moment before something crossed her mind, "Only one problem: visiting hour limitations. They're really strict on that due to security concerns for the babies. Unless you have an ID bracelet, you can't be in the room, but Will might try to use his badge to get in. I passed up the second ID because he wasn't here earlier. Though…I may still be able to get it."

"That would be helpful. Do you want me to ask Prentiss if…" he saw a flicker of unease cross her face, "or would you rather I stayed?"

"You'd do that? I feel like I've asked too much of you already."

"JJ, I told you, you're family. I don't mind, I just thought you'd be more comfortable with Prentiss here, or maybe that you're sick of seeing me."

His self-depreciating tone made her frown momentarily, "I love Prentiss but I'd rather you stayed, if that's ok. If Will tries something in the night, I'd rather it be you here than one of the others. I'm more comfortable with you and he's afraid of you; you intimidate him."

Hotch tried and failed to conceal a satisfied smirk at that observation-it was good to know that his glare still worked. "Why don't you call the nurse and see about getting that bracelet and I'll call the team. While I certainly don't mind staying, they'll shoot me if I try to keep you and Henry all to myself."

JJ laughed at this and pressed the call button for the nurse. When she arrived, JJ explained the situation, in the briefest of terms, and asked for the additional bracelet. When the nurse seemed hesitant, JJ pushed the matter in her best no-nonsense liaison tone, "Ma'am, I'm not trying to be a pain, but this is important. If you need to, check my records; Agent Hotchner is my medical proxy, so that should be enough of a reason. Please." The nurse considered this for a moment before agreeing and left to get the requested item.

For the fourth time in twenty-four hours, Hotch found himself surprised, a normally rare occurrence, "I'm your medical proxy? Why me JJ?"

She bit her lower lip and looked uncertain for a moment, "Do you mind?"

"No, of course not, you just surprised me…again, I might add."

She smiled in relief and explained, "I thought about putting Penelope but let's face it, she wouldn't be able to handle those kinds of decision if need be and as much as I love Spence, he wouldn't either. I don't speak to my family very often. And let's face it, you and I are always on the cases together and if I'm going to need a proxy, that's likely when I'd need it. Not to mention that I trust you. So really, it was a no-brainer." She bit her lip again and looked at Henry, "Do you mind the other surprise? You've been there so many times for me, yesterday most of all. I couldn't think of any other way to show how much that means to me."

"JJ, I'm honored. It was just a surprise."

She smirked at him, "Twice in one day? Is that a record?"

"Yes. And it was four times." The two laughed until the nurse came back with the requested ID band. After checking the information on the band against both JJ's and Henry's she fastened it around Hotch's wrist and reminded to JJ that she and Henry were both due for a vitals check. While that was happening, Hotch stepped out and called Prentiss, asking her to come relieve him temporarily. When she'd agreed he ended the call and reentered the room just as the nurse was finishing Henry's check-up. When she left the room he pulled the chair closer to the bed to update JJ.

"Prentiss is on her way to sit with you for a bit. I'm going to head to the BAU to update the others and arrange a rotation for the next couple of days before I head home and grab a couple of things. Is there anything that you want me to get from your house for you?"

"There's a suitcase in my bedroom closet that I'd packed for the hospital; would you mind grabbing that for me?"

"Not at all. Anything else?"

"Maybe some munchies?" She gave him a pleading look, "I _hate_ hospital food!"

That brought another chuckle from the unit chief as he rummaged through her go bag for her keys, "Suitcase and munchies, got it. Are you sure you'll be alright?"

He really was cute when he was worried, "We'll be fine. Emily'll love the excuse to hog Henry and I'll explain everything to her so that you don't have to go through it all twice. Aaron, I really am sorry for putting you through all this."

"JJ, quit apologizing, it's no trouble. I just want you to concentrate on you and Henry. Try and get some rest while I'm gone."

"Yes sir," her smile negated her sarcastic tone, and the combination made him smile once again.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: All characters belong to CBS, not me.

They talked for a few more minutes until Prentiss arrived and both agents grinned as she made an immediate beeline for the baby. Once she had him in her arms, the brunette turned to her boss, "I'll hold the fort here Hotch. Scram. JJ and I need some girl time."

Shaking his head at being ordered about by his own employee, Hotch looked to JJ, his usual stoic expression sliding into place once again, "I'll be back soon; call if there's anything you need. And try to get some rest."

"I will. See you later." He gave a quick wave to the women and brushed a hand over the baby in Prentiss's arms before leaving, his thoughts already turning to what needed to be done next.

Prentiss waited until he was out of earshot before taking a seat in the recliner, "Alright JJ, what did I miss? Obviously something's happened since we all left this morning." JJ sighed and began to tell her friend about the morning's events and the more she talked the darker the brunette's frown became. When she'd finished, Prentiss sighed, "Man Jayje, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you like that in Florida; I thought he was good for you."

JJ grabbed her friend's hand and squeezed it gently, "Don't blame yourself Em. Even if I had broken up with him then I probably would have ended up trying again anyways; I found out that I was pregnant a couple of weeks later. It's not your fault." That said, she continued to explain her decision to leave Will off the birth certificate and her worries about him coming back to pick another fight, hence Hotch's offer of round-the-clock company while she was in the hospital. Prentiss smirked a little at that.

"So that's the reason for Hotch's new accessory? He didn't have that ID band on this morning."

JJ did her best to fight back the blush that she could feel attempting to surface, "It's a practicality Em. The hospital won't allow someone to stay overnight without one."

"So why not me or Reid?" She wasn't upset; she just couldn't resist the opportunity to tease her friend.

This time the blush emerged just a bit but JJ somehow managed to keep her voice level, "Two reasons: one, Will's afraid of Hotch and sorry Emily but you guys just aren't as intimidating as he is. Two, Hotch is my medical proxy, long story, so it makes sense for him to be Henry's as well. That's all."

"If you say so."

Their discussion was interrupted by the nurse coming back for the baby; it was time for a bath, more tests and his circumcision. "He'll be in the nursery for a couple of hours, honey; why don't you get some rest?" Remembering their earlier conversation, she reassured the new mom, ""Don't worry, no one gets into the nursery without an ID."

JJ glanced at Emily but couldn't hold back a yawn, "In that case, I think I will take a nap. Em, will you be alright?"

"No worries JJ, you don't have to entertain me. I brought a couple of files and a book with me, so I'm set until the little guy gets back. You get some sleep."

"Alright." She gave her sleeping son a kiss before the nurse wheeled him away, then curled up again; God, her whole body still hurt, "Wake me when he gets back?"

"Of course. Sleep well Jayje." Prentiss rummaged in her bag and pulled out the files she'd been working on when Hotch had called earlier; no sense in falling behind and having Strauss on her back. The next few weeks were going to be crazy enough without JJ as it was.

Sleep was slowly creeping in, stalled only by the fact that her mind was still running through the events of the day. She was just about to slip under Morpheus' spell when Aaron's voice floated through her mind with the answer to the question she'd asked in the delivery room, _"I was jealous JJ. God knows I didn't have a right to be but I was."_ Her eyes popped open before she could stop the action but she quickly shut them again to avoid drawing Emily's attention. However, she was most definitely wide awake now. What had he meant, why would he have been jealous?

She forced herself to relax as she thought back over the past couple of years, even the points that she normally tried to avoid thinking about. She and Aaron had always been close, there was no denying that; they'd just clicked when she joined the team and started working closely with him in sorting cases and handling paperwork. Yes, she'd had a huge crush on him for just as long but he'd been happily married, or so she'd thought. So when she'd met Will it seemed like a good opportunity to move on with her own life, especially after the Henkel case a couple of weeks before. Not telling the team at first had been simply in case it hadn't worked out; long distance relationships often floundered quickly after all. Then Aaron had gotten divorced and the two of them had gotten closer but it hadn't seemed right to just dump Will; she didn't think Aaron thought of her like that and he was still getting over the divorce and trying to settle things with Jack. Then she'd found out that she was pregnant and she felt guilty for hurting Aaron but didn't want to hurt Will and…

And she was an idiot. While she wasn't sure if Aaron felt about her the way she did about him, they _were_ close and she'd totally blindsided him by keeping her pregnancy from him until Will showed up in New York and pretty much forced the news into the open. And despite what she'd said in Florida, she had been ashamed of their relationship; she hadn't wanted to tell him about her and Will, especially since she'd already been trying to find a good way to end it. It'd almost felt like cheating. She'd just been so desperate for a human connection after the Henkel case and Aaron had been married….She quickly stifled the groan that threatened to escape; she really had been stupid. She didn't have to be a profiler to know that she'd been avoiding her guilt and fear from that case by distracting herself with a relationship that should never have happened in the first place. And while she couldn't totally regret it, because it gave her Henry, she really did wish that she'd realized all this sooner.

God, she needed to talk to someone about all this crap in her head but for once, she couldn't talk to Aaron. Emily and Pen were also out; they'd jump to conclusions or possibly spill the beans. Reid and Morgan wouldn't be any help. Rossi….well, he'd had his share of romantic mishaps over the years and if she'd learned one thing about the older man in the time he'd been with the team it was that he played his cards close to his vest. Plus, he was Aaron's best friend. Yes, he'd be the one to talk to, he'd help her sort it all out. Decision made, she was finally able to drift off to sleep.

AN: JJ's finally facing up to a few things that she didn't want to admit before. Up next: the team's reaction to what's happened... Thanks to samcarter1980, 1701bg, luvliacd, snow6835, happysunshine01 and beaglelover719 for their wonderful reviews. And as always, thanks is owed to Jekkah and WhimsicalOne who allow me to brainstorm and ramble at them to my heart's content; ladies, I'm in your debt as always.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: If I owned CM, a lot of things would be different. So obviously, I don't own it; this is purely for my own entertainment.

Meanwhile, at the BAU Hotch had just finished explaining the now changed situation to the rest of the team. "I don't think that Will is going to try anything; his ego took a pretty big hit when JJ confronted him but we never know. And JJ doesn't need the stress of worrying about confronting him on her own right now."

Morgan looked furious, his big brother instincts on full alert, "No problems here. I'll take Baby Girl over later and stay for a couple of hours, make it look like a regular visit rather than guard duty, just in case he tries anything."

The analyst in questions was typing furiously on a laptop, which drew a question from Reid, "Garcia, what are you doing?"

"Putting a track on the little bastard's name with the airlines. It won't keep him from boarding but it will let me know if he turns tail and runs. I'm also tracking his credit and debit cards."

"Isn't that illegal?"

"Don't ask and I won't tell my little genius. There's no sign of him checking into a hotel yet but he is running up a tab at a bar at the moment."

Rossi spoke up, "I'll go join Emily and switch off in a bit; like Morgan said, if we make this look like regular visits instead of guard duty, the better it is for everyone. But what do you want to bet that the little shit's planning to crash at JJ's? He probably has a key."

"But he can't do that!" Garcia exclaimed, outraged on her friend's behalf.

"JJ's in the hospital Kitten, he doesn't think that anyone will know or care."

Hotch considered this for a moment, "Rossi, go to the hospital, send Prentiss back when she's ready. Morgan, I need to pick up a couple of things at JJ's that she asked for. Once I leave I want you to change her locks and bring the new keys to the hospital. That'll keep LaMontagne from camping out there until she gets home. Garcia, continue tracking him; I don't care about the legalities, JJ doesn't need any surprises right now."

Reid considered all this and then asked the obvious question, "What about at night? They won't let us stay after visiting hours without a formal protection order in place and…."

"It's been taken care of Reid. I'll be taking the overnight shifts." Seeing that Morgan now had his keys in hand, his finished giving instructions, "We're not taking any out of town cases for at least a week, I've already put us on stand down effective immediately to allow Agent Todd to get used to her position before we're on the road. However, we'll still be working consults as usual. Those on watch at the hospital or at JJ's if it comes to that may need to bring some files home to work on. I know it's not ideal but the last thing we need is Strauss on our backs. Any questions?" Receiving no reply he looked to Morgan, "I'll meet you at JJ's."

"You got it Hotch, I'll stop at the hardware store on my way over." The two left the bullpen with a confused Reid staring after them.

"How is he getting around the visiting hours restriction? Maternity wards are very strict on their rules for the safety of their patients."

Rossi chuckled, having already spotted Hotch's new accessory, "With one exception Reid: the new father is allowed to stay overnight."

"But Hotch isn't Henry's father. How….?"

"They get a hospital ID bracelet that matches the baby's to identify them kid," Rossi chuckled, "JJ must have requested the bracelet for Hotch after we left this morning. He wasn't wearing it earlier. That's how he's getting around the usual rules." With another chuckle he clapped a hand on the younger man's shoulder before making his way up to his office for his files and keys. He may be old but he wasn't blind, far from it; he'd seen the unique relationship between the Unit Chief and the Media Liaison on his first day back. While he knew that Hotch wasn't the type to go after someone unprovoked, he also knew that only God himself would be able to save William LaMontagne Jr. if he tried to hurt JJ or Henry in any way. He only hoped that Hotch would save at least a couple of pieces of the detective for him to annihilate. Smirking at the prospect, he gathered his things and went back down to the bullpen.

"Hey Garcia, see if his rental car has a GPS unit. If it does, track it. You never know."

"You got it! Tell Buttercup I'll be by later on."  
"Will do kitten. You two keep out of trouble while we're gone." With that the elder profiler was out the door and on his way to the hospital.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Still not mine. Damn

AN: A little Hotch introspection here and Morgan's got his opinions on things. Enjoy!

Hotch pulled into the driveway of JJ's small condo and paused for a moment between turning off the engine and removing the key from the ignition. The last thirty-six hours had been a whirlwind of activity and he welcomed these few minutes he had to gather his thoughts before going headlong back into the fray, as it were. Between JJ going into labor early, staying with her, Henry and now the situation with Will, a number of somewhat conflicting thoughts were running through his head. Memories of Jack's birth came with memories of his marriage's demise. Being with JJ through such a life changing experience enhanced his desire to protect her and Henry. Newly resurrected thoughts and feelings about his friend, which he'd tried to suppress for longer than he'd care to admit, warred with reminders that she'd just ended a serious relationship and was certainly in no position to even think about starting a new one right now. The last combination was hardest to control; he'd started thinking of JJ as more than a friend quite a while ago; while her relationship with Will and her pregnancy had hurt, he'd valued her friendship too much to either pull away or risk it in any way. But now…regardless of the fact that Will was Henry's father he couldn't deny, at least to himself, that he already loved the boy, simply because he was JJ's son and that he'd go to any length to protect them both, just as he would for Jack. But he also knew that at this very moment, he had no real right to these feelings. He also knew that right now, he had to walk the fine line between the role he had of being JJ's friend and the role he wanted to fill if she ever allowed him to. With a sigh, he shoved those thoughts aside for the time being. Right now, his priority was to gather a few things for JJ and ensuring her safety and peace of mind while she recovered. She needed him to be her friend right now; the future would unfold itself eventually.

Finally pulling the key from the key from the ignition, he got out of the SUV and scanned the small home carefully; so far there were no signs that Lamontagne had come here but he would feel much better on that score once Morgan had changed the locks. Letting himself inside, he performed a quick check of the lower level before heading upstairs. The first door he tried turned out to be the nursery, a pale blue room with cheerful décor. Shutting that door, he tried the next one and this time found himself in JJ's bedroom. Resisting the urge to look around more than was necessary, he located the closet and crossed to open the door. Sure enough, the suitcase was there on the floor so he hefted it easily and made his way back downstairs. JJ had also requested munchies, so with that in mind he set the suitcase by the front door and wandered in to her kitchen. Years of traveling together had made him more than aware of her favorite snacks so knowing what to grab was easy; she was bound to have some things on hand and he could easily pick up the rest on the way back to the hospital.

He'd just finished putting a few things in one of the reusable shopping bags she had laying around when he heard a knock on the front door. A quick check verified that it was Morgan so he flipped the catch to allow the other man to enter.

Morgan came in and looked around, obviously concerned, "No trouble so far?"

Hotch shook his head, "No sign of him so far but I'd still rather play it safe. Is there anything you need before I leave?"

"Nah man, I'm good. This won't take long. You heading back to the hospital?"

"In a little while; I need to grab a few things from home and take care of a couple of things at the office first. I'll head back in a couple of hours."

"Garcia and I are going to head over around five so we'll see you then. I've got things here Hotch, so don't stress it. We're not gonna let that bastard near JJ if she doesn't want to see him." Morgan was mildly surprised to see the corners of his boss's mouth twitch in the almost-smile that appeared on rare occasions before he nodded and picked up the suitcase.

"Thanks Morgan, I'll see you later. Call me if anything comes up."

"Will do," the dark-skinned profiler watched as Hotch loaded the suitcase into the SUV and pulled out of the driveway before opening the lock kit and getting to work on the front door. Hotch was always protective of the team but the last time he'd seen him _this_ protective was the Battle case. They'd all hovered over Penelope during that one for obvious reasons but Hotch had also hovered over JJ for a couple of weeks afterwards, since it'd been her first kill shot. This time though, while no less intense, seemed more personal than professional. He shied away from further contemplation in that direction; the 'no profiling each other' rule was in place for a reason. Everyone got as much privacy as was possible in their profession.

He finished pulling the old lock apart and set the pieces aside before starting to assemble the new one as he deliberately shifted the direction of his thoughts, namely to one William Lamontagne Jr. He'd never really cared for the guy but as long as JJ had been happy he hadn't said anything. But now… Over the years JJ had become like another little sister to him and no one fucked with those Derek Morgan considered family. He almost hoped that the little shit _would_ show up while he was here; if Morgan got half a chance, the detective would pay dearly for the way he'd treated JJ.

AN: I must apologize for the delay in updating. Unfortunately, I ran out of pre-written material and real life decided to interfere with my writing time. I'll continue to update as quickly as I can. My continued thanks go out to all those who have been reviewing and following this story. I hope you continue to enjoy it! And as always, my thanks to WhimsicalOne and Jekkah for their patience with my rambling as I write my way through this.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I can't count the number of things that wouldn't have happened if I owned CM...therefore, I obviously don't.

AN: I feel I must remind readers: this story is NOT Will-friendly. If you're looking for even a hint of sympathy towards the character, this is the wrong place to look. Just a fair warning. Now, on with the story.

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William Lamontagne Jr. was pissed off….and drunk, but most of all pissed off. Who the hell did Jennifer think she was, telling him that they were through? The hell they were through; they had a kid now! Knocking back the last of the bourbon in his glass, he banged it against the counter and ordered another one, glaring at the bartender's skeptical look. He knew how to hold his liquor, damn it! Taking the refill that was reluctantly handed over, he downed another mouthful. He'd been doing her a favor! Everyone knew that a mother belonged at home; he'd been trying to get her to quit that damn job for ages, even before they'd found out that she was pregnant. Didn't she get that it was for her own good? She should have been grateful that he'd been lookin' out for her, that he'd gotten things ready for her to just move in without having to worry! She belonged at home with him, not runnin' around the country all the time with that team of hers! He blamed them for this attitude of hers; she didn't want to leave them. But they oughta know that she belonged at home with him. Movin' would get her away from that damn job an' away from that damn team. Once she'd settled in, she'd realize that he'd been right all along.

But she always had some excuse as to why she couldn't quit. First it was 'cause Gideon left, then 'cause Rossi joined 'em and there was too much t' do with the transition and a lot of cases comin' in. Then her excuse was Garcia needin' her after she got shot….on an' on an' on. Who did she was, Wonder Woman? Even in New York, when she _knew_ she was pregnant, she hadn't let him take her away, even though it'd been dangerous. No, she just _had_ to stay. The woman didn't know her place, she never listened! Hell, he'd at least thought that her boss would send her home in New York-he was a dad, he knew she shouldn't be there. But no! Even he'd let her stay without a word of protest!

Will slammed his glass to the bar top at the thought of JJ's boss. Aaron Hotchner was a thorn in his side in more ways than one. Of all the members of that damned team, he wanted to get her away from 'Hotch' most of all. The fucker was _so_ perfect, he was sick of hearin' about him! 'I can't talk now, I have to brief a case to Hotch; I have to ask Hotch about getting the time off; Hotch's had it rough since his divorce and just needs someone to talk to. Hotch asked me to help with some files this weekend; Hotch is a good boss and looks out for me, don't worry so much.' Every time he tried to get her to visit for more than a couple of days, all he heard was Hotch, Hotch, Hotch. He would have suspected that she'd been cheating on him with the fucker, even if she did say they were just friends, if he weren't so damned _perfect_. Hah!

And now that bastard had been with JJ in _his_ place, saw _his_ son born! She had no fucking _right_! She should have waited for him! Then she'd let him stay in the room with her and _his_ son-she should've sent him home to sleep! Bitch! Bastard! He conveniently set aside the fact that it had been his own decisions and actions that had caused his delay in arriving at the hospital and ordered another glass of bourbon. He scowled when the bartender refused to give him another one unless he handed over his keys. Fucker!

He stalked out of the bar and headed for his rental car. There was a liquor store between here and JJ's; he'd just pick up a bottle of his own and stay at there until she'd had time to realize she'd made a mistake in telling him that they were done. She needed him and she'd realize it soon. The tires squealed against the pavement as he pulled out into traffic—at least he'd missed rush hour.

A stop at the liquor store and a half an hour later had him pulling into JJ's driveway. He sneered at the small condo; she'd be so much better off in his place. Maybe he'd start doing some packing for her, just to show her that he'd forgiven her. He knew she'd come to her senses. Nodding to himself in approval, he walked up to the front door and put his key into the lock. A scowl quickly replaced his sneer when the key refused to turn. What the hell? He pulled it out and tried again; it still refused to work. That bitch, she'd had the locks changed! That was the last straw!

He stomped back down the walk and slammed the car door behind him as he started the engine. A glance at the clock told him that visiting hours would be ending soon but he oughta have enough time to make JJ see sense. An' he was the baby's father, they'd let him stay to talk to her. She'd come around…he'd make sure of it.

He spent the drive to the hospital dividing his attention between going over what he'd say to JJ and keeping an eye out for cruisers. While he was certainly _not_ drunk, he didn't want to risk anything delaying his arrival at the hospital. He was going to make JJ see reason—not to mention get the new house key from her so he could start packing her things.

As he parked in the visitors' lot he glanced at the time: 7:45 P.M. Any company she might have had oughta be gone by now. He made his way up to JJ's room, a smile on his face that always got him his way. This was goin' t' be easy. He stepped short in the hallway a few feet away from JJ's room when he heard Penelope Garcia's distinctive laugh ring out; damn, she still had company! He decided to wait for a few minutes for Garcia to leave; he wanted to talk to JJ alone. Spotting some chairs at the end of the hallway he passed by the room and glanced in. Shit! Not only was Garcia there but the rest of the team as well! At least they'd have to leave soon.

He settled sullenly into an empty chair and kept his eyes on JJ's doorway, waiting for the team to leave. Every minute that passed had him becoming more and more agitated. Damn it, he needed to talk to her! Finally, they started leaving just as the announcement came over the intercom that visiting hours were over. One by one, her teammates left the room, calling their good nights. Will was about to rise from his seat to go in he realized that one very important person had yet to leave: Hotch. He'd wait another minute or two; the bastard would have to leave soon, since visiting hours were over. He got more restless as the seconds passed. Damn it, he needed to talk to JJ!

It wasn't that he was _afraid_ to go in while Hotch was there. Yeah, the guy's glare was intimidating; he'd seen that on the cases that they'd worked together. But it didn't affect _him_. And yeah, Hotch was a polite enough guy that he'd leave so they could talk privately. But that wasn't the point. The _point_ was that he needed to talk to JJ _alone_.

Y'know what, screw this. _He_ was the baby's father. _Hotch, _friend or no, would just have to leave. He'd also have to accept the fact that JJ was going to be leaving the BAU as soon as he got her to sign the paperwork and moving to New Orleans with him. And he was going to tell them both that _now_!

Will rose from his chair, ready to stalk into JJ's room when a nurse approached, "Sir, I'm afraid visiting hours are over. You'll have to leave and come back tomorrow."

That stopped him short and he quickly affixed a pleasant expression on his face, "But…"

"Sir, please. Visiting hours begin again at two o' clock tomorrow. But right now, our patients need their rest." His smile wasn't fooling the experienced nurse; she'd seen plenty of nasty family fights in her time in the ward and his previous thundercloud of an expression had not escaped her notice. He wasn't wearing an ID bracelet so she had no reservations about escorting him out. She was relieved when his tense posture relaxed.

"O' course ma'am, I understand. I just wanna pop in an' say goodnight." He could feel her eyes on his back as he smiled and walked away. Damn her! Ah well, at least if they were shooin' people out, that friggin' Hotch oughta be gone by now too. He'd scoot in an' talk to JJ while the nurses were doin' their rounds. Once he was in her room, she'd just tell them that he was the baby's daddy an' they'd let him stay. Simple as that.

But once again his plan fell through. As he approached the room he could see Hotch standing just inside the doorway, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. Fuck! What was _he_ still doing here? Hotch was looking away from the door, his attention on the curtain drawn across the room, indicating that a nurse was checking on JJ. Double fuck!

His next few steps slowed as he frantically tried to think of a way to salvage his plan but stopped short when Hotch turned and met his eyes. The agent wasn't giving him his patented glare, nor was his expression welcoming; it was completely, consciously neutral. Will's bourbon-soaked brain cleared momentarily and concluded that the agent probably knew everything that had transpired between him and JJ that morning; if he hadn't been awake at the time then JJ had probably told him. Now was also the moment that he remembered that the man was one of the best profilers in the world. Shit! How much did he know?

The brief moment of clarity passed and his temper flared once more. So, JJ had her precious _Hotch_ hanging around and couldn't be bothered to call _him_? Well, he'd let her think on it some more and come back in the morning. The fucker had to go to work _sometime_. He stalked out of the hospital and drove to a nearby motel, steadily working his way through the bottle of bourbon he'd purchased earlier. Once he'd checked in he quickly finished off the bottle and then promptly passed out, still planning his approach for the next day.

When morning came, Will awoke to a combination of splitting headache, hangover and renewed temper. His head hurt like a bitch and he cursed as the sun hit his eyes. Shit, that hurt! Squinting at the bedside clock, he saw that it was already nearly noon. He needed to get back to the hospital. But first, he needed some aspirin and a shower.

Somewhere between the shower, dressing and a stop at a nearby diner, Will changed his mind about returning to the hospital. If JJ wanted her precious team so much, she could have them, for now. Why should he keep following her around like a fucking puppy? And when she ended up in over her head and realized her mistake, and he knew she would, _she _could come to _him_. Then she'd finally listen to him.

Satisfied with the plan, he finished his meal and headed towards the airport. She didn't deserve a phone call; let her wonder where he was and if he was coming back. She'd come to her senses soon.

Little did he realize that when he paid for his room, then his meal, returned his rental car and bought his ticket back to New Orleans, each transaction sent a little alert back to a certain blonde's computer. And when he checked in and boarded his flight, said blonde would breathe a sigh of relief and pick up her phone to make a call.

"Hey boss-man, it's me. Just letting you know that our little Cajun problem's gone; he boarded a flight that took off for the Big Easy about ten minutes ago. I'll let you give Buttercup the news. Tell her I'll be by later? Thanks, bye!" Hanging up, the analyst grinned; one less thing to worry about. Now to make a few minor adjustments to the bastard's credit report….

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AN2: My apologies for the delay in posting recently. Real life (and school) decided to kick my butt and my muse deserted me for a time, claiming stress. My continued thanks go out to Jekkah, Ilovetvalot and WhimsicalOne for their continued encouragement and support. And a huge thank you to Jekkah, who helped me overcome a brief self-confidence issue in regards to this story. And as always, thanks are owed to everyone who has read and/or reviewed-you're the greatest!


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Still not mine...

JJ woke to Henry's quiet fussing just before five a.m. and gingerly raised the head of her bed to a position that allowed her to get up with minimal discomfort. Crossing to the bassinet, she changed his diaper and updated the little chart taped to it before bringing him back to the bed with her and settling them both in to nurse.

Once Henry was latched on to his breakfast, she sat back with a sigh, enjoying the peace and quiet. Yesterday had been exhausting in more ways than one. Worse than the physical exhaustion and lingering discomfort of childbirth was the emotional exhaustion from the confrontation with Will and her personal revelations. Unfortunately, she hadn't had the chance to talk to Rossi as she'd promised herself she would; his 'shift' had overlapped with Emily's and then Morgan and Garcia showed up after work, soon followed by Reid. Everyone had been wonderful and she was touched at how quickly they'd all rallied to her side and covered the various bases for her at the possibility of trouble from Will. She'd been surprised when Morgan had handed her a new set of house keys but quickly understood the reasoning behind it. His revelation that it had been Hotch who requested both the lock change and the tracking of Will's activities had been only a small surprise. Hotch always looked out for the team; if there was a problem, or even a hint of one, he'd do anything he could to help avert it if at all possible. It was just who he was.

Speaking of Aaron…JJ's gaze came to rest on the still sleeping Unit Chief. As promised, Aaron had reappeared a few hours after he'd left, bearing her suitcase, his go bag and briefcase, as well as the requested munchies. To her relief, he'd also shown signs of having caught a shower and a quick power nap. She was glad to see that he'd gotten some sleep, even if only on what she suspected had been the couch in his office; he'd needed it after the last day and a half. He'd stood back while the others visited and was quiet for the most part, aside from a few comments here and there. It wasn't until after the rest of the team had left and a nurse had come and gone that he allowed the 'Hotch' mask to fall and her friend Aaron out again. They hadn't spoken much; he'd held Henry while she got ready for bed and she'd fallen asleep soon after. It hadn't been an awkward silence but the comfortable sort of quiet that they'd developed over the years.

The couple of times that Henry had woken in the night had been spent in that same comfortable silence. Aaron had slept lightly all night, keeping an ear out for trouble, so she was hoping to avoid waking him yet again. But Henry's cooing as he finished his breakfast was enough to wake Aaron once more, so she quickly adjusted her nightgown as he blinked the sleep from his eyes and focused on her, "Morning Aaron."

"Good morning JJ. Sleep well?" He ran a hand over his hair and face, a motion she recognized from many a late night jet ride.

"Tolerably so. You?" She shifted Henry to her shoulder and patted his tiny back, "Sorry we woke you up."

"You didn't JJ. And I slept well, thank you." He decided not to mention the half-dozen times he'd woken during the night at the sounds of the nurses making their rounds; it would only make her worry, "How's the little guy doing?"

An answering belch from the baby in questions had both adults grinning, "He's doing just fine. He just finished his breakfast."

"Do you want me to hold him for a few minutes?"

"If you'd like." The baby was easily passed between them and once again she had to smile at the picture the two of them made; she'd only seen him once or twice with Jack when he was that small, on the rare occasion that Haley would bring him into the office. This was a rarely seen side of Aaron Hotchner; it surfaced occasionally when they'd deal with children on cases, but even those instances were few and far between. She was the one who usually dealt with the kids, the families, and generally took on the nurturer's role. Hotch was the interrogator, the controlled one, the 'cross me and I'll kick your ass' one. He was intense, focused and in control. So to see him relaxed, holding her tiny son in his arms and a smile growing on his face was a sight she had to savor. If this was how he'd been with Jack, (which she didn't doubt a bit,) she had to wonder, not for the first time, how the hell Haley could ever have left him.

She was startled out of her thoughts when she felt Aaron's gaze fall on her again, rather than the baby and she realized she'd been staring. Seeing the curiosity in his expression, but not wanting to reveal her thoughts, she grinned, "He looks good on you."

That brought a chuckle from the unit chief, "Well, either I'm very boring or he's full, because he's out like a light already."

She giggled, and then climbed slowly out of bed once more, "I'm going to make myself presentable, if you don't mind. Be right back."

"Take your time JJ."

Ten minutes later she was again ensconced in bed, leaning against the raised head with a sigh, "Much better." She had to smile once more at the picture that Aaron and Henry made but her arms were beginning to itch to hold her son again.

Aaron caught her look and rose to his feet once more, "I think your Mommy wants you back Henry." He helped her get him into a position that would keep them both comfortable, with Henry's head resting against her stomach and propped a couple of pillows under the baby to take keep him in that position, "There, now you can hold him and relax at the same time. Comfortable?"

"Absolutely." The two agents shared another grin before Aaron excused himself to make use of the small restroom and make himself presentable for the day. When he came back he reclaimed his seat. After a few minutes of small talk, in which she saw him glance more than once at the briefcase he'd left near the wardrobe last night, JJ finally shook her head at him, "Aaron, please don't feel like you have to entertain me. I know you have paperwork to do."

A barely noticeable frown of uncertainty twisted his mouth, just for a moment before he tried to politely deflect her observation, but she gave him a pointed look in reply, "Aaron, no one knows more than I do just how much paperwork you have to do in a single day. I'm the one who harasses you to go home at night, remember? Not to mention that you've already lost the better part of two days helping _me_. It's alright."

He knew better than anyone else how stubborn she could be, "Are you sure JJ?" Haley had always hated it when he brought work home from the office and he didn't want to make JJ feel like he was ignoring her, especially since she'd just had a baby. Her answer was a shake of her head and a look that told him that she thought he was being impossible, tempered slightly by a smile.

"Aaron, don't _worry_ about it. I get it, you know that. I don't want Strauss on your case because you're here looking out for me. If you hand me the book that's in my suitcase, I'll be perfectly content to sit here and rest with Henry. Unless you'd like some help with the files…"

Yes, she was blatantly manipulating him and they both knew it. But it got her what she wanted: he retrieved the novel from her bag (and to her surprise, didn't even raise an eyebrow at the fact that she'd packed a murder mystery as 'light reading') and then opened his briefcase. Her nightstand was on wheels so with her nod of permission it became a makeshift desk and the two agents settled into a comfortable silence once more; the only sounds in the room being the turning of pages, the soft slap of file folders being shifted about and Henry's occasional coos of contentment.

The morning passed slowly, broken only by the arrival of breakfast and the occasional nurse coming in to check on JJ and Henry. JJ alternated between reading and dozing for a couple of hours, enjoying the chance to just relax. Henry woke once to nurse, a point when Aaron was very careful to keep his eyes solely on the files and not stray over to mother and son as they had been doing every few minutes.

Aaron, for his part, worked through the paperwork as quickly as possible; JJ was right, he did have a lot to catch up on. He took one break around eleven when his nose detected the unmistakable scent of a soiled diaper. Seeing that JJ was asleep, he carefully took the baby over to the bassinette and took care of the matter. Once that was done, he couldn't resist just cuddling the boy for a few minutes, even though doing so made it harder to keep his thoughts firmly in the realm of being JJ's friend. It was too tempting to let them stray. But he forced himself to settle the baby back with her so she wouldn't wake up and worry; she needed her rest. Scribbling the time and diaper change on the paper chart, he returned to the files until JJ woke once more when lunch was delivered. To his surprise a tray was brought for him as well. They later found out that word of JJ's particular circumstances had been passed between shifts and the arrangements made so that he didn't have to leave the room in order to get something from the cafeteria.

Once they'd eaten, they did talk more, though they carefully avoided talk of either cases or the Will situation and passed Henry back and forth between them every once in a while; the baby hadn't left one of their arms all day, nor did he seem inclined to complain about it.

It was somewhat unfortunate, for Aaron at least, that he was the one who was holding the baby when Rossi arrived at the start of visiting hours for his shift. Upon entering and seeing the unit chief holding the baby and undeniably _smiling_, a smirk crossed the older man's face, a look that his friend saw and fought to contain a groan. That smirk meant trouble. The moment passed quickly though when JJ caught sight of him.

"Hey Rossi. How're things going?"

"Not too bad kiddo. How're you doing? Has this guy been taking good care of you?"

She gave him a half-hearted swat on the arm as he leaned over to give her a hug, "Yes he has been. Did you draw the short straw for first shift?"

"Are you kidding, I had to fight for it. I actually want to hold that baby of yours a bit before Garcia comes and snitches him again." This got a laugh from both agents and Aaron handed Henry back to JJ, brushing his hand over the baby's hair. The two exchanged one of those speaking looks that Rossi had always found fascinating and then JJ nodded once and Aaron walked over to his friend.

"Let's step outside for just a minute."

"Everything ok?"

The two men stood just outside the door and Hotch spoke quietly, filling his friend in, "He hasn't shown up here today but he did come back last night, just after you guys left. I think he was trying to catch JJ on her own after visiting hours ended. I saw him while the nurse was checking on JJ right after you left and I know for a fact that he saw me. He didn't try anything though, just left."

"Did you scare him off with that glare of yours?"

"No, I didn't. I didn't do anything to him. He just kept walking, which is why I'm certain he's trying to find a way to see JJ when no one else is here. He looked pissed, not to mention drunk."

"Does JJ know?"

"No. I didn't want to worry her last night and she's been avoiding the subject today, so I've let her. Just keep an eye out."

"Of course. I'll call if anything comes up."

Hotch nodded and the two went back into the room. Hotch started to gather up his paperwork while Rossi reached for the baby.

"Hand over that little guy. I hardly got to hold him yesterday."

JJ laughed and held him out, "Here you go. Just watch his head."

"I've got him." He sat in the chair Hotch had vacated, "Go on Aaron, I've got things here. Scram already."

"Alright, I know when I'm not wanted." He gave his friend a half-hearted glare before turning to JJ, "Do you need anything when I come back?"

JJ gave him a smile and shook her head, "I think I'm all set but I'll call if I think of something. I'll see you later." The scene looked so domestic that Rossi half-expected Hotch to kiss JJ on the cheek but the moment passed and Hotch picked up his briefcase and go-bag.

"I'll be back around six-thirty. Give me a call if you need me to return sooner."

Dave made a shooing motion with one hand, "Get out of here already. I want my time with this kid and you're interfering. Go!"

With a final smile and a wave, Hotch turned and left the room. He'd just reached his car when his phone rang, "Hotchner."

"Hey boss-man, it's me. Just letting you know that our little Cajun problem's gone; he boarded a flight that took off for the Big Easy about ten minutes ago. I'll let you give Buttercup the news. Tell her I'll be by later? Thanks, bye!" She'd hung up before he could answer. He paused for a moment and considered calling Dave and passing on the news, but decided against it a moment later. He wanted to be the one to talk to JJ and this was better said in person than over the phone. The news would keep a couple of hours. Decision made, he finally got into the vehicle and headed for the Academy to check in with the others.


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